Edward j



(No Model.)

B. J. COLBY.

00m CONTROLLED OPERA GLASS.

No. 434,377. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

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UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. COLBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLBY IMPROVEMENT COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-CONTROLLED OPERA-GLASS;

srncrrrcnmon forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,377, dated August 12, 1890.

Application filed December 10, 1889. Serial No. 333,190- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. COLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventeda certain new and useful Improvement in Coin-Controlled Opera- Glasses, of which the following is a full, clear,

, and exact specification.

My invention relates to coin controlled optical instruments, and has for its object to provide means whereby such instrument may be permanently locked in such manner as not to be in use except when freed by the introduction of a coin. This I accomplish by means of the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is an end part sectional view of the device; Fig. 2, a section on the line X X 5 Fig. 3, a section on the line Y Y.

Like parts are indicated by the same lettors in all thefigures.

A A are the tubes of an opera-glass; B, the cross-bar; C, the hollow cross-bridge; E E, the apertures of such tubes; F, a bridge or partition within the cross-bridge C.

G is a rod carrying the clutch H at its upper end and pivoted at J in the cross-bridge F. L is a slot in such rod registering with the slot M, and also with the slot M in the thimble M within which freely rotates the head M on the handle M or knob M, and also with the slot M in such head. The head M has an annular groove N, into which projects the notched spring-plate N, which lies in the recess N in the inner surface of the thimble M A rod 0 secured to the notch in the spring N is provided with a lug P, which is engaged by the key It to retract the rod 0 and thus withdraw the spring N.

I have devised many kinds of coin-controlled or coin-freed mechanisms to prevent the focusing of the optical instruments; but the form which I here exhibit is that form which has specially been applied to operaglasses, and hence I have confined the illustration to opera-glasses, though with slight modification. The device or principle thereof could be easily applicable to the control of other instruments.

S is the-rod to which the movable or inner portion of the tube is secured, and this rod which is provided with the thumb-piece S The sleeve S is secured to the outer and principal portion of the tube. Now, as is well known, by turning the thumb-piece. in the desired direction the rod S will travel and will be caused to travel or reciprocate within the sleeve S and thus the lenses of the operaglass be moved so as to properly focus the same and permit the proper use of the glasses.

T T is a chain attached to the handle or knob so that the glass may be secured in position.

V is the coin,

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: The coin V having been inserted through the slot M and slot M into the slot M in the rotating head and the slot L in the rod G, it projects, as shown in Fig. 3, into the groove N. If now the handle or knob be turned, the coin will turn with it, and hence the rod G will also turn. By continuing this motion the rod Gwill be rotated, say, through ninety degrees, whereupon the clutch H will be disengaged from the teeth on the thumbpiece S and the latter will be released and will be free to rotate, so that the lenses may be extended or contracted to permit the free and proper use of the glasses. At the same time the coin V will engage the spring N and force the same backward into the recess N is screw-threaded at S within the sleeve S I until it engages the notch, whereupon the coin will be locked securely in position, and with it all of the rotating parts, and the opera-glass be free for use. By now inserting the key R and retracting the spring the knob or handle will be free to be moved, together with the coin, from the hollow bridge C. The spring immediately restores the clutch H to the position shown in Fig. 1, where it engages the thumb-piece S and the parts are again looked into position. The coin may now be removed from the head and the latter reinserted'in its aperture. It will be seen that 'when thus out of use the operaglasses are reciprocation to focus the instrument by means of a coin-freed mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination of an optical instrument with a focusingpreventinglock and coin-controlled mechanism which governs such lock.

2. The oombin ation of an optical instrument with a movable part adapted to focus the same, a lock to such part, and coin-controlled mechanism to control such lock.

3. The combination of an optical instrument with a reciprocating lense-carryiug portion, devices to reciprocate suchportion, and coincontrolled mechanism to govern such devices.

4. The combination of an opera-glass having two relatively movable portions, one of which moves with the lenses of a lock which prevents them from movingone upon the other, and coin-controlled mechanism to govern such lock.

5. A coin-controlled lock containing a rotating piece normally free to move, a socket in which it can rotate and in which it is nor mally secured, coin-receiving slots through such socket and rotating, piece, and a catch to prevent the rotation after the coin has been introduced and turned a certain distance. 

